A cricketer is awarded the man of the match because of his/her outstanding performance and contribution. Moreover, the most impactful cricketer in the game is awarded the man of the match title. Anyone from either team can win it, but in most situations, the cricketer from the winning team gets the award. Suryakumar Yadav recently equaled Virat Kohli's record of winning the most Player of the Match awards in T20I cricket history.
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Most Player of the Match awards in T20I cricket history
5. Mohammad Nabi -14 awards | Afghanistan
Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi has won 14 T20I Player of the Match awards, ranking fifth in the history of the format. The Afghan all-rounder has been one of the most crucial players in the history of Afghanistan cricket. Nabi has picked up 96 wickets and scored 2165 runs in 121 T20I innings.
4. Virandeep Singh -14 awards | Malyasia
Virandeep Singh from Malaysia holds the fourth position on the list with 14 Player of the Match awards. In 78 matches, his consistent performances have earned him those precious awards. The Malaysian has played 79 T20I innings, scoring 2320 runs, and scalping 66 wickets. He made his T20I debut against Thailand in 2019.
3. Sikandar Raza - 15 awards | Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Sikandar Raza ranks third on this list with 15 Player of the Match awards. In 91 matches, he has scored 2037 runs and taken 66 wickets, showcasing his brilliant skills and consistent performances in the format. Raza made his debut in 2013 against Bangladesh. Since then, he has been the most crucial player of the team.
2. Virat Kohli -16 awards | India
The former Indian skipper Virat Kohli has won 16 T20I Player of the Match awards. He is one of three men with over 4,000 T20I runs, along with Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma. Kohli is the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cups, averaging 65.00. Kohli has made and broken several records in his professional career. He was holding this record for so long until Surya broke it recently. He retired from the T20I format after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies.
1. Suryakumar Yadav -16 awards | India
Suryakumar Yadav, the current T20I skipper of India, has won 16 Player of the Match awards in T20Is, equaling Virat Kohli's record. SKY matched Kohli‘s record during India’s 43-run victory over Sri Lanka in the series opener. In 71 matches, the ranked 1 player of the format has scored 2432 runs at a strike rate of 168.65. He has already scored 4 T20I centuries and 20 half-centuries.